Spaced wall cabinet structure



Aug. 14, 1956 o. v. sAUNDl-:Rs

SPACED WALL CABINET STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1955INVENTOR. Orson V. rSaunders His Attorney United States Patent O sPA'cEDWALL CABnsET STRUCTURE Orson V. Saunders, Dayton, Ohio, assignor toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of DelawareApplication July 28, 1953, Serial No. 370,740

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-15) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatusand particularly to the support of an inner food storage compartmentforming liner in a refrigerator cabinet.

An object of my invention is to provide a means for securing the innerfood storage compartment forming liner in a refrigerator cabinet whichsecuring means is of simple design and is readily assembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for spacing andsupporting the front edge portion of a metal food compartment linermember from the front edge portion of a metal outer shell or housingmember of a refrigerator cabinet which supporting means is slidable intointerlocking engagement with one of the members to reduce to a minimumthe time required to assemble parts of the cabinet together.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel support for ametal food compartment liner member from the outer metal shell member ofa refrigerator cabinet which in addition to retaining the front edges ofthe members in spaced apart relation minimizes conduction of heat fromone of the members to the other.

A still further and more specic object of my invention is to slidablyinterlock one edge portion of a nonmetallic rigid breaker strip to thefront edge portion of a metal cabinet outer wall forming member and tosecure the other edge of the breaker strip to the edge portion of themetal food compartment liner of a refrigerator cabinet whereby thebreaker strip forms the sole means of supporting the liner from thecabinet outer Walls and is located in such a position as to be concealedby a trim molding bridging the gap between front edge portions of theliner and the cabinet outer walls and forming the throat of the foodcompartment access opening.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying myinvention with the food storage compartment door shown in open position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken onthe line 2-2 of Figure l with the inner food compartment forming linersupported from the cabinet outer shell in accordance with my invention;

Figure 3 is a broken view of the liner supporting breaker strip havingmounting clips thereon and is taken in the direction of the arrow 3 inFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the breaker strip of the presentstructure in a position relative to the cabinet outer shell ready to beslid into locked engagement therewith; and

Figure 5 is a view .similar to Figure 4 showing the breaker strip slidinto interlocked engagement with an aperture in the outer shell.

In Figure l of the drawings the reference numeral 10 designatesan.insulate-d refrigerator cabinet of the houseice hold type having aliner therein forming walls of a food storage compartment and whichliner is adapted to be supported in the cabinet in a novel manneraccording to the present invention. Cabinet 10 comprises a metal shellor housing 11 which forms the outer top and side Wall members thereof.An outer back wall and other walls may be welded or otherwise suitablysecured to shell or housing l1 to complete the outer structure ofcabinet 10. The front of cabinet 10 is open and a metal liner 12 isinserted into the cabinet shell or housing 11 through the open frontthereof and provides a member forming walls of a food storagecompartment 14 within the cabinet. Liner 12 is spaced from shell 11 andinsulating maten'al 16 of any suitable or desirable form, but,preferably bagged or packaged, is disposed in the space between thesewall members (see Figure 2). Liner 12 is provided with a forwardlyfacing access opening and has its edge portions about this openingspaced from forward edge portions of shell or wall member 11. The gapbetween the forward edge portion of wall members 11 and 12 is closed ina manner to be presently described. A closed refrigerating system (notshown) is associated with the refrigerator 10 for cooling the interiorof food storage compartment 14, This refiregating system may include arefrigerant translating device usually mounted in a machine compartment,provided by walls of shell 11 depending below the bottom wall of foodcompartment 14, having an open front normally closed by a closure member17. The closed refrigerating system also comprises or includesrefrigerant conduits extending from the refrigerant translating deviceto a refrigerant evaporator 18 disposed in the upper part of compartment14 for cooling the same. The construction of evaporator 18 forms no partof the present invention and is shown in Figure l as a component part ofthe refrigerator 10. A plurality of vertical spaced apart horizontallydisposed shelves 19 are mounted within compartment 14 for supportingfood products therein. An insulated door structure 21, shown in openposition in Figure l and omitted from Figure 2, is hingedly mounted atthe front of cabinet 10 for closing the access opening of food storagecompartment 14.

In accordance with the present invention I provide means for supportingthe liner or food compartment wall forming member 12 in spaced relationto and solely from the front portion of the cabinet outer wall or shellmember 11 which means has a novel sliding interlocking engagement withone of the wall members. Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings itwill be noted that the outer metal shell or wall member 11 has portionsadjacent its forward edge bent so as to provide a box-like in crosssection structure about the access opening of compartment 14. Thisbox-like structure is formed by bending front edge portion of shell 11laterally inward toward liner 12, as at 23, thence back upon itself, asat 24, to provide a part 26 abutting and extending along the shell 11,and is thereafter bent inwardly of shell 11 to form a flange or edgeportion 27. The box-like structure formed by the bent portions 23, 24,26 and 27 of outer wall or shell member 11 is provided with a groove orchannel extending around and facing the access opening of foodcompartment 14. The box-like structure serves to increase the structuralstrength of the front p0rtion of cabinet 10. Liner or compartmentforming wall member 12 has an edge portion about its front opening bentas at 28 and 29 to strengthen the same about the access opening ofcompartment 14. The edge portion or ange 29 on liner member 12 is spacedfrom the edge portion or flange 27 on shell or wall member 11. Edgeportion or llange 29 on liner member 12 is providedfwith a plurality ofspaced apart tapped holes for receiving screws as will be presentlydescribed. Flange `or front edge portion 27 of shell wall member 11 isprovided with a plurality of substantially keyhole shaped aperturessuitably spaced apart around the compartment 14. These apertures haveportions of varying width such for eX- ample as the wide part 31 and thenarrower part 32 (see Figures 4 and 5) for a purpose to be presentlydescribed. In order to support the front edge portion of liner member 12from the front edge portion of shell or housing 11 in spaced apartrelation to one another and to prevent conduction of fheat between thesemembers I ernploy a nonmetallic breaker strip 36 which bridges the gapbetween `the edges of the `wall members. Breaker strip 36 is preferablyformed of thick rigid heat insulating material of any suitable form orcomposition as is well known in the art. In order that breaker strip 36may extend entirely around the throat of the access opening ofcompartment 14 it is preferably composed of at least four pieces. Aplurality of suitable spaced apart holes 37 are provided in a piece ofthe breaker strip 36 along and adjacent one edge portion thereof. Aplurality of spaced apart rigid metal clips 38 are stationarily mountedon breaker strip 36 by rivets or the like 39 extended through suitable'holes provided in clips 38 and spaced apart holes provided along andadjacent to the other or opposite edge of the breaker strip 36. Theseclips 38 each include a first projection or hook-like portion 41 benttherefrom .by slitti-ng the clip as at 42 and bending the materialintermediate the slits as shown. The end of each clip 38, oposite theend thereof secured to breaker strip 36, is reduced in size and is bentas at 43 to provide a second projection or hook-like portion 44 thereon.It will be noted, by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, that thewall part of the first hook-like projection 41 extends over and titsagainst the inner .surface of .the ange or outer .edge portion 27 onwall member or shell 11 and that the body -part of clip 38, hav-ing theslit 42 therein, extends over and fits against the outermost surface offlange 27. A portion of each of .the clips 38 thus embraces the ilange27 or the edge .of the edge portion of `outer shell or wall member 11.The second hook-like projection 44 on clips 38 normally extends throughthe narrower part y32 of the keyhole shaped apertures and engages theinner surface .of ange 27 while a portion of the clips 38, intermediatethe two hook-like projections thereon, fits or bears against theoutermost surface of flange 27 as shown in Figure A2. A screw 46 ispassed through .each of .the holes 37 in breaker strip 36 and isthreaded into the tapped holes provided -at the edge portion of flangel29 .on liner member 12. This locking engagement .of the plurality ofclips 38 with the outer edge portion or ange 27 on wall member l1'1together with the screws 46, locking the breaker strip 36 to the edgeportion or flange 29 of liner member 12, firmly supports the weight ofliner 12 ,and food .products stored in compartment 14 from the outercabinet shell or housing member 11. Breaker strip 36 also maintains the.edge portions of the wall members 11 `and 12 in spaced apart relation.to one another for after strip 36 is secured as described, about thefour sides of the access opening of compartment 14, there can be noshifting of the hner member relative to the outer cabinet wall member orshell.

In order to conceal the tied together front edge portions of liner 12and shell 11 4and the tieing or supporting breaker strip 36 I secure atrim or molding strip to the front portion of cabinet 10 so as toprovide a neat in appearance exposed throat about the access opening offood storage compartment `14. This trim strip, indicated by thereference character 51 (see Figures l and 2), is nonmetallic and may beformed of molded plastic material as is now common and well known-in theart. Trim or finish strip S1 is provided with a channel 52 along itsouter edge whic'h is fitted over an edge part of Wall or shell membery11 at the point where the part 24 of shell 11 is bent back over thepart 23 thereof. The other or opposite edge of trim strip S1 is flangedinwardly as at 53 and provided with a beaded inner edge 54. The beadededge 54 of trim strip 51 is located under a part of a leaf spring 57 toretain the ange 53 on strip 51 in abutment with the bent part 2S ofliner 12 and to lock the trim strip upon cabinet 10. Springs 57 arelocked to the breaker strip 36 by being located under the head of screws46. i

Assembly The breaker strip 36, as shown in Figure 3 having the spacedapart metal clips 38 thereon, is, after the insulating material 16 andliner 12 respectively have been placed into the cabinet shell or housing11, moved into a cooperative position with the outer edge portion orange 27 on the cabinet outer wall member. Clips 38 are moved toward theapertures in flange 27 until at least an end part of the hook-likeprojection or finger 41 slides over the edge portion .of flange 27.Further movement of breaker strip 36 and consequently the clips 38toward member 11 then causes the projections 41 to overlap and fully,embrace the edge portion 27 of member 11. At this time vthe secondhook-like .projections or ngers 44 are brought in to alignment with thewider part 31 of the apertures in ange 27. Breaker strip 36 is thenswung laterally to cause the second hook-like projections on clips 38Vto be inserted into or passed through the wider part 31 of theapertures as is shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. In order to nowrigidly lock the clips 38 and consequently breaker strip 36 .to theouter shell or wall member 11 the :breaker strip is moved in a directionparalleling the .edge of flange 27 to cause the second hooklikeprojections or fingers 44 to slide into the narrowest part 32 of theapertures as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. This brings the holes 37in strip 36 into alignment with the tapped holes in the edge portion orflange 29 yof liner lmember 12 whereafter the leaf springs 57 are placedunder theheads of screws 46 .and these screws are then passed throughthe holes 37 and threaded into the ltapped holes to rmly secure thesprings 57 in place and to rigidly lock the ybreaker strip 36 inbridging position relative yto members 11 and 12 to span the gap betweenthe outer edges thereof and to support liner 12 from member 11.Thereafter channel 52 on the trim or throat forming strips r51 `isplaced into overlapping engagement with l,the edge portion of Imember 11and its beaded edge S4 of ange 53 thereon is pushed beneath a bent partof springs 5,7 so as to snap these strips 51 in place upon the vfrontportion of cabinet 1G for providing the neat in appearance throat forthe food compartment access opening.

By providing a Abreaker strip between wall members of a refrigeratorcabinet for supporting one member from the :other at least one edge ofwhich strip is slidably interloked in place in apertures as describedand herein illustrated I not only greatly facilitate assembly ofrefrigerator cabinets but also reduce such assembling operation to aminimum of time. This is accomplished 4by the fact that the slidinginterlock of the breaker strip with the cabinet outer shellsimultaneously locks the same thereto at a plurality of points along thefront portion thereof. :It should be apparent from the foregoing that myinvention provides a novel yattaching means for supporting a ,metalliner in an outer metal shell of a Vrefrigerator cabinet which is ofsimple construction and offers no obstruction to the mounting of adecorative lor trim strip member :to the front portion of Vthe Vcabinetwhich forms the throat ofthe lfood `storage compartment access opening.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that .other Vformsmight be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet of the type having inner and outer wallmembers with insulation therebetween and having edges of the membersspaced apart at an opening providing access to a compartment in thecabinet, means for rigidly supporting the edges of said members in saidspaced apart relation, said means comprising an aperture adjacent theedge of one of said wall members and a breaker strip having a metal clipsecured thereto adjacent one edge portion thereof adapted to beinterlocked with the edge of said one wall member, said aperture beingof varying width and elongated in the direction of extension of the edgeof said one wall member, said clip having a first hook-like projectionthereon adjacent said one edge portion of the breaker strip and a secondhook like projection thereon spaced outwardly from said rst hook-likeprojection, the free end of both of said hooklike projections on saidclip being directed in the same direction laterally away from said oneedge portion of said strip, the free end of said second hook-likeprojection being insertable into the widest part of said aperture tolocate the free end of said iirst hook-like projection in a position toreceive said edge of said one wall member therebeneath, said breakerstrip together with said clip thereon being movable lengthwise along theedge of said one wall member in a direction paralleling the elongationof said aperture, after insertion of said second hook-like projectioninto the aperture, to shift said second hook-like projection on saidclip into a narrower part of said aperture and to cause a substantialportion of said rst hook-like projection to overlappingly engage andembrace said edge of said one wall member for locking said breaker stripthereto against lateral movement therefrom, and said means alsocomprising fastening elements securing the other edge portion of saidbreaker strip to the edge of the other of said wall members.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet of the type having inner and outer metalwall members with insulation therebetween and having edges of the wallmembers spaced apart at an opening providing access to a compartment inthe cabinet, means for rigidly supporting the edges of said metal wallmembers in said spaced apart relation, said means comprising keyholeshaped apertures adjacent the edge of said outer metal wall member and arigid nonmetallic breaker strip having a plurality of metal clipssecured thereto in spaced apart relation along one edge portion thereofadapted to be interlocked with the edge of said outer metal wall member,said keyhole shaped apertures being elongated in the direction ofextension of the edge of said outer metal wall member, said clips eachhaving a first hook-like projection thereon adjacent said one edgeportion of said breaker strip and a second hooklike projection spacedoutwardly from said iirst hooklike projection, the free end of both ofsaid hook-like projections on each of said clips being directed in thesame direction laterally away from said one edge portion of said strip,the free end of said second hook-like projection on said clips beinginsertable into the widest part of said keyhole shaped apertures tolocate the free end of said first hook-like projection on said clips ina position to receive said edge of said outer metal wall menibertherebeneath, said breaker strip together with said clips thereon beingmovable lengthwise along the edge of said outer metal wall member in adirection paralleling the elongation of said keyhole shaped apertures,after insertion of the second hook-like projection on said clips intothe apertures, to shift the second hook-like projection on said clipsinto the narrower part of said keyhole shaped apertures and to cause asubstantial portion of said first hook-like projection on each clip tooverlappingly engage and embrace said edge of said outer metal wallmember for locking said breaker strip thereto against lateral movementtherefrom, and said means also comprising fastening elements Securingthe other edge portion of said rigid breaker strip to the edge of theother of said metal Wall members,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,705,454 Griths Mar. 12, 1929 2,261,882 Howard Nov. 4, 1941 2,296,024Drake Sept. 15, 1942 2,484,584 Petkwitz Oct. 1l, 1949 2,644,607 HinkelJuly 7, 1953

